Apparatus for positioning elastic tubular coverings on the handles of playing clubs



May a, 192%. 1,669,053

W. HAMEL APPARATUS FOR POSIT ING ELASTIC TUBULAR COVERINGS ON THEHANDLES OF PLAYING CLUBS Filed Sept. 13. 1.926 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Im/ewrMay 8, 1928, L669JJ53 C. W. HAMEL APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING ELASTICTUBULAR COVERINGS Obi THE HANDLES OF PLAYING CLUBS Filed Sept. 1.5.1.926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0% w A Zh;ZZ/6/ZZ/ 0/ amma 7766 Patented May 8,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. HAMEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING ELASTIC TUBULAR COVERINGS ON THE HANDLES OIPLAYING CLUBS.

Application filed September 18, 1926. Serial No. 135,162.

This invention relates to novel method-of and apparatus for positioningelastic tubular coverings such as rubber sleeve grips on golf clubs andparts thereof and the handles of other playing clubs.

Golf clubs are generally provided with leather grips, these gri s aresmooth and become slippery due to t e perspiration of the hands andrequire the player to hold the club tightly 1n his hands. To eliminatethese objectionable features a rubber sleeve or grip has come into use,such grip being slipped over the leather covering and held in positionthereon by its own resiliency. A rubber grip enables the player to moresecurely hold the club without unduly straining the hands of the player,is not afiected by moisture and the outer surfaces thereof can beroughened and. given any desired It is the object ofthis invention topro-' vide simple and inexpensive means for placing an elastic tubularcovering such as a rubber sleeve on the handle of a playing club wherebysaid sleeve will be firmly held in position and will not turn or slipwhen in use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simple meansforexpandingthe rubber sleeve in orderto permit the insertion of thehandle of the playing club therethroughand then removing sald means soas to allow said rubber sleeveto be retained in proper position on saidclub in an expanded Condition so that it will be secured againstaccidental "displacement by its own resiliency.

With these and other objects in view,my

invention consistsin certain novel features of constructionandarrangement of parts,

hereinafter more fully f described and claimed, and illustrated in 'the'accompany-f 'ing drawings,'in which- Figure 1 "s a lolgltu dinal crosssection thre sh' m ap a atus s w n h [g -9 f a golf club in dotted linesin readiness to be inserted into the rubber sleeve.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the grip in full lines inposition with the rubber sleeve partially released.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of my apparatus.

Figure 4c is a perspective detail view of a cone-shaped member utilizedto expand the rubber sleeve.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the apparatus used inconnection with a rubber sleeve to be used to cover and protect theinner end of the grip.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of a modified form of my apparatus.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross section taken on lines 7--7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross section taken through a detachable supportused in conjunction with my apparatus.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of same.

Figure 10 is a section taken vertically on line 1010 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is an end elevational view of a modified form of my apparatus.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a ringprovided with a central opening 11 of sufiicient size to allow passagetherethrough of the grip 12 of a golf club 13 and provided in its edge Ifcient clearancebetween the ring 10 and said sleeve for're'ceiving grip12 and a plunger 18' which is a. truncatedcone member provided on itsperiphery with series'of longi:

tudinallyj'disposed grooves 19 which are adaptedlto be trave'rsed' byrods 15. This member 18 is placed between rods 1 15 with the latter'occ'upying v grooves 19 and .with

the smallend'offsaid truncated cone member 'po'intin I towardssleeve/17. I Golf club 13 is then inserted through opening ll'betweenrods 15 with the butt end of grip 12 bearing against the large end ofmember 18. Pressure is then applied to the golf club while ring is heldstationary thereby forcin member 18 forwardly into sleeve 17 antherethrough. During the passage of member 18 forwardly, sleeve 17 isexpanded and is held in this expanded position by rods 15, one of theirends being held by ring 10 while the opposite ends bear against member18. When member 18 is passed through sleeve 17, grip 12 will occupy theposition shown in Figure 2 so that by withdrawing rods 15 sleeve 17 willcontract and firmly engage said grip.

In the form shown in Figure 5, a shortsleeve 20 is shown beingpositioned on the twine-covered portion 21 of grip 22. In the form shownin Figures 6 and 7, a modified form of apparatus is illustrated forpositioning the rubber sleeve on the golf club, said form comprisingbox-shaped support 24 open at both ends and provided in its walls withapertures 25 through which pass screws 26 on the outer ends of which are29 of brackets 28 and screws 26 are moved inwardly to allow rods 30 topass through said sleeve while being positioned in the apertured ends29. Wing nuts 27 are now operated so as to bring screws 26 outwardlythereby bringing rods 30 away from the axis of the device and expandingsleeve 31 sufficiently to allow the insertion of the golf' clubtherethrough as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. When the golf club isproperly positioned with respect to the rubber sleeve, rods 30 arewithdrawn from their positions thereby releasing said sleeve so thatthe'latter will engage the golf club.

In Figures 8 and 9 is illustrated the preferred form of a support forring 10. This comprises a casting 34 having an adjustable screw35 bymeans of which it can be detachably secured to a table or work bench 36as shown. Extending upwardly from support 34 is a segmental portion 37provided with a semi-circular flanged seat 38 adapted to receive thelower portion of ring .10. A complementary segmental member 39 providedwith a flanged seat 40 is hinged at 41 to member 37 and is adapted toengage the upper half of the ring and lock the latter in position.

The free end of member 39 is adapted to be secured in closed position byany suitable means such as a. screw 42 which is pivotally mounted at 44to member 37 and is adapted to be moved upwardly through a slot 45formed in said free end. A wing nut 46 is threaded on screw 42 and isadapted to be screwed down and clamp the member 39 in closed position.Members 37 and 39 in addition to forming a support for ring 10 alsoserve to retain rods 15 in notches 14 so that said rods 15 can notbecome displaced from ring 10.

A rod 47 is slidably seated in member 34 a suitable distance belowsemi-circular seat 38 and is provided at its rear end with a hopper 48which is'preferably U-shaped in cross section and is adapted to receiveplunger 18 when the latter is released by rods 15. The hopper 48 has anupwardly presented portion 48 which intersects the axis of the sleeveand forms an adjustable stop for plunger 18 so as to prevent movement ofgrip 12 beyond its proper position with re spect to sleeve 17. Rod 47 isheld in adjusted' position by a screw 49 screw-seated in member 34 andhaving one end engaging said rod 47.

In the form shown in Figure 11 a ring 10 is formed integral with asupport 15 and the latter is detachably secured to table or bench 51, bysuitable attaching means 52.

The grooves 19 in plunger 18 are comparative'ly shallow being usedmerely as a guide fonplunger 18 and the rods 15 extend gitudinallythrough said sleeve the move-' ment of the plunger causing lateralexpansion of said sleeve 17.'

The diameters of rods 15 with respect to grooves 19 is such that rods 15extend be- .yond the periphery of plunger 18 in order to reduce thefrictional contact between tubular member 17 and said plunger andfacilitate the passage of the latter therethrough.

My apparatus enables the use of tubular resilient members of comparativesmall diameters relative to the handle of the playing club, whereby whensaid tubular member is released on said club it is held thereon securelyand all danger of slippage is eliminated.

By using my apparatus, the tubular members can be quickly positioned onthe golf club in an efficientmanner and the apparatus is so arrangedthat it can be readily set up for use in a store, shop and other placesand taken down when not in use. No other tools are needed to operate mydevice and the latter does not requireexperienced operators, but can beused by any person.

While I have shown and described my in vention as applied to golf clubs,it is to be understood that my invention can be .used

for positioning elastic coverings on the handles of various playingclubs and other implements without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim: 1

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a Stationary supportprovided with a central opening,a series of rods carried by said supportand arranged in spaced relationwith each other and with said opening,said rods being adapted to be remova bly inserted in an elastic tubularcovering, and means insertable through said opening in said support formoving said rods laterally, thereby expanding said tubular covering andallowing the insertion of the handle of a playing club through saidsupport into said tubular'covering.

2. An apparatus of theclass described comprising a1 stationary supportprovided with a central opening, a series of rods removably carried bysaid support and arranged in spaced circumferential" relation about saidopening, said rods being adapted to have positioned thereon an elastictubular member, and a releasable member insertable through said openingbetween said rods for moving the same laterally .to expand said tubularmember and allow the positioning thereinto of the'handle of aclub.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary supportprovided with a central opening, a series of rods seated in said supportand spaced equidistant aboutthe axis of said opening, said rods beingadapted to pass through a resilient tubular member, and means for movingsaid rods laterally to expand said tubular member and permit a portionof a golf club to be inserted thereinto, said rods being removable fromsaidtubular member to allow the latter to engage said golf club.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary supporthaving a central axially disposed opening, a series'of rods removablyseated in said support and in spaced'concentric relation with the axis 1of said support, said rods being adapted to pass through a resilenttubular member, and releasable'means for moving said rods laterally toincrease the diameter of said tubular member so as to permit positioninof a portion of a playing club through sai central opening in saidsupport into said tubular member, said rods being removable to releasesaid tubular member and allow it to eiwage under tension said club,

5. apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary supportprovided with a central opening, a series of rods removably seated insaid support and arranged in spaced concentric relation with the axis ofsaid opening, said rods being adapted to pass through a resilienttubular member, releasable means for moving said rods laterally to-increase the diameter of said tubular member so as to permitpositioning of a portion of a playing club through the opening in saidsupport into said tubular member, said rods being removable to releasesaid tubular member and allow it to engage under tension said club, andmeans for securing said support in a stationary position.

.6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary supportprovided with a central opening, a series of rods adapted to be insertedin a resilient tubular member, means-on said support for holding saidrods in spaced relation with each other and. with the axis of "saidcentral opening,

and releasable means for moving said rods laterally to expand saidtubular member so as to permit positioning-of a golf club with- .in saidtubular member, said rods being removable so as to release saidtubular'mem her in position on said golf club. 7. An apparatus of theclass described comprising a stationary support provided with a centralopening, a series of rods havingone of their ends removably seated insaid support in spaced relation with each other and with the axis ofsaidcentral opening, said rods extendmg longitudinally from said support andbeing adapted to member, and means insertable between said rods andthrough said tubular member so as to move said rods centrifugally toexpand said tubular member and allow the insertion therethrough of aportion of a playing club, said rods beingremovable so as to releasesaid tubular member and allow it to resil iently engage said club.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signaturethis 28 da of August,1926.

i CHA LES W. HAMEL.

I have positioned thereon an elastic tubular

